How To Save Time Dusting

I do wish dust hadn't been invented, but unfortunately, where there are humans or animals, there will be dust!

Dust is pretty yucky stuff when you think about it. A good proportion of it comes from the outside, but the rest of it (30%-40%) is made up of dead skin cells and hair.

So, dust is inevitable in any home. But is there a way to make dusting quicker and easier?

My biggest tips for saving time dusting are:

Remove clutter so there is less surface area for dust to settle on. Use a dry (not wet) microfiber cloth. Work from top to bottom and always use your vacuum last.

Read on for lots more tips!

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8 dusting tips and hacks to save time dusting

Do you hate dusting as much as I do? Well, you are in luck because here I have 8 tips to help you do the dusting quickly and efficiently.

Free up the time you saved doing something else more interesting!

Tip 1 - Avoid clutter

If you have less clutter in your home, there is less surface area for dust to settle on.

Here are a couple of tips:

• Keep your books in a closed bookcase to make dusting your books so much easier.
• Try to give everything a home. If you can find a good home for everything, preferably in a cupboard, dusting will be easier.

I'm not an expert on decluttering. That's why I prefer to consult the professionals.

Check out these posts:

• How to Declutter Fast: 20 Ways to Get Rid of Stuff Quickly
• How to declutter your home: Follow these 5 easy steps

Tip 2 - Keep tidy

Try to keep areas most likely to get dusty as tidy as possible. That way, you make dusting so much easier because you won't have to move as many things to dust.

Tip 3 - Work from top to bottom

When you are dusting a whole room, always start at the top. Start by dusting the ceiling corners, and then move down to the tops of furniture and so on. That way, if dust falls as you clean it, it doesn't matter because you will catch it later.

Tip 4 - Use a dry microfiber

Dry microfiber cloths (as opposed to wet), are best for dusting because when they are dry, they attract the dust much more effectively and hold it in the fibers.

I find that when a microfiber cloth is damp, I push the dust around instead.

The best time to use a damp microfiber cloth is after you have done your dry dusting.

Tip 5 - Use the ‘S’ motion

Rather than a circular motion when you dust, use an ‘S’ motion by moving from side to side as you move down.

That way you don’t clean a surface more than once, and there is less chance for dirt and dust to be redistributed back onto the surface.

Tip 6 - For hard to reach areas, use a mop

I love my Flash mop (same as Swiffer) for dusting hard to reach places. I attach a microfiber cloth to the end, and then I can dust the top of bookcases, picture frames, door frames, and get right into corners to remove spider webs.

Related posts:

• How to remove spider poop

Tip 7 - Dust little and often to avoid accumulation of dust

If you make dusting one of your daily cleaning tasks, the job will be so much easier.

For areas that you use a lot and get the most dusty, keep a microfiber cloth handy. If you remove the barrier of having to find a suitable cloth, you might find you are dusting accidentally!

Tip 8 - Always vacuum last

As you dust with a cloth, dust will fall to the floor, ready for you to vacuum up, so you will want to do that last to save time.

I recommend using a vacuum with a HEPA filter, so that your vacuum doesn't spew dust back out into the room as you use it.

Related post:

• Dust free blinds - the easy way
• How to clean up dust without spreading it around
• How to remove dust from the air naturally

6 Best dusting tools

Here are the six of the best tools that I have in my house and wouldn't be without.

1. Microfiber cloths. I don't know what I would do if these had not been invented, or what I did before I knew about them. My house must have been very dusty! When used dry, Microfiber cloths are excellent at attracting dust and keeping it within the fibres, so you don't end up spreading it around. Then you can simply throw it in the wash.
   Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloth, Non-Abrasive, Reusable and Washable, Pack of 24, Blue/White/Yellow, 16" x 12"

   

   Buy at Amazon
2. Dryer sheets. When I have finished dusting, I don't want to have to dust again any time soon! So I simply wipe over with a tumble dryer sheet to keep dust away. Blinds are a case in point. I hate cleaning those! After dusting my blinds, I follow with a dryer sheet.
3. Vacuum cleaners (with a HEPA filter). Vacuum cleaners are great for cleaning really dusty areas. Make sure yours has a good HEPA filter, so you don't end up spreading dust around again.
   Miele Classic C1 Cat and Dog Canister HEPA Vacuum Cleaner with SEB228 Powerhead Bundle - Includes Performance Pack 16 Type GN AirClean Genuine FilterBags + Genuine HEPA Filter

   

   Buy at Amazon
4. Swiffers. I put a microfiber cloth on the end of my Flash mop (which is the UK version of Swiffer). Then I can dust hard to reach places, such as on top of bookcases and picture frames. You can buy disposable dusting sheets for these, but they work really well with a dry microfiber cloth too, which you can attach securely via the grab holes.
   Swiffer Sweeper Dry and Wet Floor Mopping and Cleaning Starter Kit, All Purpose Floor Cleaning Products, Includes: 1 Mop, 7 Dry Pads, 3 Wet Pads

   

   Buy at Amazon
5. Make-up brush. For small items like ornaments with small crevices, a make-up brush or paintbrush is the perfect tool.
6. Can of compressed air. Compressed air is great for dusting things like laptop keyboards, TV remotes, and LEGO.
   Dust-Off Disposable Compressed Gas Duster, 10 oz - Pack of 2

   

   Buy at Amazon

Related reading:

• The best way to clean dust without a duster

How to stop dust settling

Now you know how to save loads of time dusting, you will want to extend the time between dusting, so you don't have to do it so often.

Here are a couple of ways you can prevent dust from settling on furniture in your home:

1. Always use a vacuum with a good filter. I recommend a HEPA filter because they are designed to filter out tiny particles from the air as you vacuum. If your HEPA filter is working well, it can make the air cleaner than before you started to vacuum.
2. Wipe surfaces with a dryer sheet. A dryer sheet will reduce static, and repel more dust from settling, so you won’t find dust arriving back so quickly.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take dust to settle?

Dust can start settling immediately after you have dusted. To stop dust settling, so quickly wipe over the surface with a dryer sheet.

What is the most effective dusting method?

Always dust from top to bottom and then finish off by vacuuming. Make sure your vacuum has a good filter in it so that it doesn't send dust back out into the air.

How do you keep dust away?

After dusting surfaces, finish off by wiping over with a tumble dryer sheet. This will repel dust and stop it from settling.